Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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143. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons removed from hospital waiting lists in County Cork for orthopaedic, ophthalmological and gynaecological services for failing to respond to a validation letter in the past 18 months; the number of those persons back on those waiting lists in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16893/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Good practice around the management of hospital waiting lists recommends periodic validation of waiting lists. Validation is the process whereby hospital administration contacts patients on waiting lists at pre-planned intervals during the year to ensure that patients are ready, willing, suitable and available to attend a hospital appointment or wish to be removed.

Importantly, the validation process allows for situations where, if requested by the GP/referring clinician, patients can be reinstated back to their original place on to the Waiting List.

Last year, I approved the establishment of a Central Waiting List Validation Office within the NTPF. The new office delivers a standardisation of approach to validation across all waiting lists and all hospitals in line with the best patient-centred practices. The validation of waiting lists better informs the true demand for hospital services and enable improved efficiency and patient scheduling.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.